


Heroes and Villains:  Of Victories and Violins

by irishlullaby13



Series: Heroes and Villains [12]
Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 02:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11175534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishlullaby13/pseuds/irishlullaby13
Summary: The Captain is up to something. The Siren intenda to find out what.





	Heroes and Villains:  Of Victories and Violins

Abbie watched the Captain as he rushed into the Archives, concealing something in his coat. She narrowed her eyes and gave herself a minute to see if he would come back out. When he didn’t. She looked at the little dragon pin on her coat lapel. “Ready to see what he’s up to?”

Boo honked loudly and snorted, drawing the attention of a few passersby. Abbie stroked the pin and hissed, “Shhh. Incognito, remember?” He gave a soft _snoot_ before falling silent.

Glancing left then right, Abbie dashed across the crosswalk and into the building that housed the Archives. When she pushed the doors open, she was surprised to find it… empty. No Captain, no mystery item.

Abbie looked down at the pin. “Alright Boo,” she said. “Find Ichabod.”

Almost immediately Boo popped off of her lapel and to his full size. He whirled around the desk, snorting merrily as he sniffed the floor. He wobbled to a shelf and pawed at it, whimpering softly. Abbie walked over and pulled the secret door open. Boo howled and bolted into the munition tunnels, following the Captain’s scent.

It wasn’t long before she saw the Captain in the distance, one hand at his side with his fingers flicking restlessly as he looked left, then right. Abbie looked down when Boo sucked in a ragged breath then she put her finger over his mouth. “Shh.” He cocked his head and grunted, but otherwise remained silent.

The Captain dashed off to the right, still holding his coat closed tightly.

It had been almost two months since Abbie had spotted him around Sleepy Hollow. The manor had been remaining eerily quiet and she didn’t exactly feel up to confronting him on his home turf as it were. Especially given how things had gone on their worldwide trip. She didn’t know if he was angry with her or not. What she did know, according to sources--Joe--the Captain had a “most urgent matter” to speak to her about. So she had been trying to catch him sneaking into the Archives.

Considering he used the underground tunnels to get around to most places, that had been considerably hard. She wondered what exactly could have been so important that he would venture from his underground world and walk amongst the other mortals.

Abbie squeezed her eyes shut and shook away the image of his shadow blocking a spot of sunlight. “Let’s go,” she said quietly and nodded so Boo would scamper ahead.

They kept their distance, winding through the labyrinth underneath Sleepy Hollow. The tunnel gave way to a small cavern that was flooded with natural light. 

“Where is he going,” Abbie murmured to herself. Boo snorted softly and wobbled out of the cavern.

Before long, the trees began to thin out and a sidewalk appeared. Suddenly Abbie recognized where they were. A body had been dumped there in her early days with the sheriff's department. Actually, several bodies had been dumped there over the years. Usually resulting in Sheriff Corbin nosing around her mom to ask if she knew the victim--almost every time she did.

They were at the city park.

Abbie paused when he approached a young woman at a bench and the girl beamed brightly at him. She was petite and pale, with long dark hair. 

Almost immediately, Abbie hated her. More so when she stood to walk along with the Captain. Of course his manners had him offering an arm that the young woman took.

Was… was he on a… date?

When the thought occurred to her, her heart sank into her stomach. She thought about backing off, but Abbie slipped into the woods instead and continued to follow them. She told herself it was because he was still concealing something in his coat. She had to make sure the cute, seemingly bubbly young woman was safe too…

After all, the guy had a psychological break after she left him in Buenos Aires, there was no telling what he would do. Abbie could only half discern what they were talking about. Of course Boo was being loud as fuck snorting and wheezing at her feet.

“Can you hide,” she hissed. “You're being too loud.”

She stopped long enough for Boo to wriggle his butt and leap at her chest, disguising himself as a lapel pin again. She rubbed the pin and smiled before continuing to follow the captain and his new cohort.

 _Cohort_ , Abbie thought. Yes. That was an excellent term. It didn't imply anything romantic.

“I'd prefer to be away from prying eyes,” she heard the Captain say. He looked around and for a moment his eyes lingered just to the left of where Abbie was concealing herself behind a tree.

“I know the perfect place,” the young woman said cheerfully.

The woman led him to a secluded rose garden-- _In loving memory of Matilda Frost_ the little sign outside of it proclaimed.

In the middle of the rose labyrinth was a small gazebo with seating. The Captain kept hold of the woman's hand until she was seated. He pulled a case from inside his coat and set it on the seat next to her.

Abbie’s brows arched as she peered around the bushes. The Captain carefully removed a violin from the case and gracefully took a seat on the floor of the gazebo. “Please forgive me, I've only recently picked this hobby up again. I played quite well in my childhood… I wouldn't do this except, my associates seem to think i need hobbies that take place outside of the house…”

“Carol said you play excellent,” the young woman said. “Just do something you enjoy.”

“There is one I recently learned…”

Surprised didn't even begin to describe Abbie's reaction when the Captain carefully put the violin into position and began to play. Then she was annoyed because he had never mentioned he could play the violin. But yet here he was, sharing the talent with some… girl that he had met to… go for a walk in the park.

She was pretty sure this was a date. Why else would he meet a pretty girl in the park and play music in a rose garden? This would definitely be a date in his day.

The girl laughed when he finished. “Was that Twenty-one Pilots?”

Ichabod lowered his violin and nodded. “Indeed it is, Miss Corinth, one of my associates is very fond of the group so I thought it would be fun to learn at least one of their tunes.”

“That was really nice actually. For someone who claims it's been a while,” the girl said. “All that's left is for you to get a few more songs and I'm sure you'd make an excellent addition to the park musicians. We already have a violinist but she mostly only does classical tunes.” She blushed lightly and gave the Captain a flirtatious smile. “Actually I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing violinist duties. ‘cause she's me.”

Abbie felt her heart sink into the pit of her belly when the Captain looked down shyly. 

About that time the pin on her lapel made a soft howling sound. Abbie's eyes widened. She put her hand over the pin and hissed, “Dammit Boo.”

She moved out of sight and reached into her back pocket to pull out her mask and put it on. As she expected, the next thing she heard was, “I know you're there, Siren, you can come out.”

Abbie straightened herself and walked around the rose bush. The Captain was standing in the arched entrance of the gazebo. His lady friend hovered near the bench, watching curiously.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Siren?” he asked stiffly, his fingers flexing gently at his side as he tilted his chin up.

“I got word you had something _imperative_ to speak to me about,” Abbie said levelly. “I didn't mean to interrupt your… date.”

Ichabod blinked at her. “Date…?”

“Oh… this wasn't a… it's not a date,” the young woman said quickly. “He was auditioning to… you know what… I'm just… going to… go. I will get back with you about the park schedule, Mister Crane…”

Before he could gather his facilities enough keep Miss Corinth from taking leave, she gave Abbie a quick grin and disappeared into the rose labyrinth.

Abbie wasn't sure how to start the conversation. What was the etiquette on striking up a chat with the guy you left alone in a hotel room in Buenos Aires, and initiated their psychological breakdown?

She looked away and swallowed hard. “You cut your hair,” she said quietly, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

Ichabod sucked in a breath and she watched him walk over to the case to put away his violin. “There is an individual that has captured the horseman and Moloch,” he said, not looking her way as he clicked the case closed. “I believe she may be some kind of mythical being as she appeared when a bolt of lightning struck the ground.”

Of course it was too much to hope for that the whole apocalypse thing was behind her…

“That's not good news,” Abbie stated.

He didn't look her way at all as he gathered the instrument to his chest and brushed past her.

“It’d be nice if I had a partner to help,” Abbie said. 

She heard him stop. After a long pause, he softly whispered, “I think you and I both know that would be unwise.”

Abbie turned. “Captain…” he strode away briskly. She hurried after him. “ _Ichabod_.”

He stopped but didn't turn to face her.

“I'm sorry,” Abbie said quietly. “I thought… I didn't realize… What I did was a dick move. I'm not going to make excuses. All I can say is that I'm sorry and that you didn't deserve it.”

Tenseness left Ichabod’s shoulders. He slowly turned her way. “You underestimate the things I will do for you, Siren,” he said. 

He had somehow managed to read between the lines of her apology and understood that she had not seen a correlation between his being comfortable with the world around him and her being there in it with him. 

Abbie swallowed hard and looked down at her feet. She folded her arms over her chest protectively. Her face warmed as she heard him move closer. He placed his fingertips under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his.

Carefully, he pulled her mask off. “You need never hide yourself from me, my Siren.” 

Abbie felt her breath catch in her throat as he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, lighter than a feather. When he moved to.pull away, Abbie grabbed the lapels of his coat and brought his mouth firmly to hers.

There was a faint sound of him dropping his case before his arms wrapped around her and dragged her up against his tall frame. When he finally lowered her feet to the ground and pulled away, Abbie weaved on legs that didn't quite want to support her.

“Perhaps I could assist you with this new foe after all,” he said simply, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.

Abbie blinked then shook her head to clear it. “Just to be clear… you've forgiven me for being a dick and leaving you alone in Buenos Aires?” 

Ichabod bowed his head politely in a nod.

“Just to make sure you understand…” she waved between the two of them “...we are not a thing. And just because we're going to be working together doesn't mean I have changed my mind on that front.”

“Understood,” Ichabod replied, clasping his hands behind his back. “Just so long as you understand that I shall not cease attempting to win your heart.”

Abbie stared at him flatly. “Ichabod…”

He leaned down to retrieve his violin. A small smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. “My darling Siren… if you cared nothing for me, you would not have bothered apologizing for breaking my heart as you did.”

Abbie narrowed her eyes at him as it stepped back a few paces. She was about to retort with a perfectly witty come back. However, Boo howled happily and popped off of her lapel.

His hind feet used Abbie's chest to bound at Ichabod and knock him over to the ground to cover his face with slobbery kisses. Abbie laughed as Ichabod flailed and fought to temper the dragon into his lap.

“He missed you by the way,” Abbie said.

Ichabod took Boo’s face in his hands and pressed his forehead to Boo’s. “And I missed her as well.”

Boo’s entire body wagged as Ichabod nuzzled him affectionately. Ichabod looked up at Abbie and smiled softly. “I have also missed you, Siren.”

Abbie felt her face warm and she tucked her hair behind her ear. She glanced away for a moment then looked back at him. “I missed you too… I guess. So, you're really going to help this time?”

“There is nothing on this planet that could keep me from your side, Siren,” Ichabod said softly.

It was a small victory on her part to get him to help. She was going to take it. Hopefully he would uphold his end and not cower away from danger.

“So… you play violin.” He nodded lightly. Abbie looked away, playing with the ends of her hair. When Boo snorted, Abbie ventured, “I think Boo would like to hear you play again.”

Ichabod carefully climbed to his feet, keeping Boo safely in his arms. “I would love to play for her,” he said softly. He trotted toward the gazebo after retrieving his violin case. “Would you care to join us?”

Abbie stepped into the gazebo and lingered in the archway. “I'd love to.”


End file.
